Method and apparatus for tensile testing a spliced connection of fibers in a fiber splicing device

Abstract

In a fiber splicing device, an adjustment apparatus for moving a first fiber-section perpendicular to its end face is designed such that it is composed of at least one piezo-actuator and a drive. After the splicing of the two fiber ends, the piezo-actuator is charged to a preset electrical voltage and the electrical voltage at the piezo-actuator is subsequently measured while the first carriage is moved away perpendicular to the fiber end face and is compared to the preset values. As a result thereof, the tensile stress acting on the fiber can be identified dependent on the movement of the first carriage, so that the drive can be arrested after a preset tensile testing stress has been reached.

We claim:  
     
       1. A method for tensile testing of a fiber splice between a pair of fibers in a fiber splicing device comprising the steps of: 
       clamping one of the fibers of the splice in a first fastening device on a carriage and clamping the other fiber of the pair in a second fastening device,  
       moving the carriage in a direction opposite to a restoring spring, which acts on the carriage and which is secured to a fiber splicing device, by an adjustment means for moving the carriage, and  
       controlling an operation of the adjustment means by means for controlling so that a tensile stress acting on the fiber splice is measured by a measuring device connected to the means for controlling while the carriage is moved away from the second fastening device by the adjustment means until the tensile stress measured by the measuring device corresponds to a tensile testing stress predetermined by the means for controlling.  
     
     
       2. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of moving the carriage includes providing a drive and a piezoelectric actuator connected to the means for controlling by a piezo-output stage, said piezoelectric actuator serving as the measuring device, measuring an electrical voltage adjacent the piezoelectric actuator while the carriage is being moved away, said carriage being moved back until the electrical voltage adjacent the piezoelectric actuator corresponds to a tensile testing stress predetermined by the means for controlling. 
     
     
       3. An apparatus for tensile testing of a fiber splice between ends of a pair of fibers in a fiber splicing device, said apparatus comprising: 
       first means for clamping one fiber of the pair of fibers,  
       second means for clamping a second fiber of the pair of fibers,  
       a movable carriage supporting the first means,  
       adjustment means for moving the carriage in a direction extending parallel to the axes of the pair of fibers against a restoring spring, which acts on the carriage and which is secured to the fiber splicing device,  
       control means for controlling an operation of the adjustment means,  
       a test amplifier connected to the control means,  
       a piezo-output stage connected to the control means, said adjustment means containing a drive and a piezo-actuator, and  
       means for switching ever a coupling of the piezo-actuator from the piezo-output stage to the test amplifier, so that an electrical voltage measurement can be made to determine a tensile stress.  
     
     
       4. A method for tensile testing of a fiber splice between a pair of fibers in a fiber splicing device comprising the steps of: 
       clamping one of the fibers of the splice in a first fastening device on a carriage and clamping the other fiber of the pair in a second fastening device;  
       moving the carriage in a direction opposite to a restoring spring, which acts on the carriage and which is secured to a fiber splicing device, by an adjustment device for moving the carriage, and  
       measuring a tensile stress acting on the fiber splice while the carriage is moved away from the second fastening device; and  
       controlling the adjustment device to move the carriage until the measured tensile stress corresponds to a tensile testing stress.  
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the adjustment device includes a piezoelectric actuator and an electrical voltage adjacent to the piezoelectric actuator is measured while the carriage is being moved back until the electrical voltage adjacent the piezoelectric actuator corresponds to the tensile testing stress. 
     
     
       6. An apparatus for tensile testing of a fiber splice between ends of a pair of fibers in a fiber splicing device, said apparatus comprising: 
       first clamp for clamping one fiber of the pair of fibers;  
       second clamp for clamping a second fiber of the pair of fibers;  
       a movable carriage supporting the first clamp;  
       adjustment device for moving the carriage in a direction extending parallel to the axes of the pair of fibers against a restoring spring, which acts on the carriage and which is secured to the fiber splicing device;  
       a controller for controlling an operation of the adjustment device; and  
       a measurement device for making an electrical voltage measurement to determine a tensile stress acting on the fiber splice.  
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the adjustment device includes an actuator and a drive. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the measurement device includes a test amplifier, and wherein the controller controls the adjustment device to move the carriage until the determined tensile stress corresponds to a tensile testing stress.